Silent Thorns
by jazzmonkey
Summary: His mother was a sweet, gentle person. She was also a dangerous, swift woman. Everyone has a family lineage to follow, an inevitable path they must slowly turn towards. He started down the path, and he didn't know how to turn back.


**I don't own bakugan. This is the one shot for the best guess in my story FitARftS**

**Bold **is thoughts

**Silent Thorns**

After another easy day battling, and two hours of hanging out in the café, watching Dan eat Runo out of house and home, he bid them all farewell.

He plucked the cell phone waiting in his pocket. It was black, just like always. He usually found them waiting for him in their-for lack of a better word-waiting room. The number as always was blocked. He never bothered to care for who was calling.

Every government deserves it secrets, and he was Japan's. Their best "not really real" worker. He didn't ask questions. If there was one thing his mother's things had revealed to him, it was to never question the people offering you work.

"Kaze," he muttered into the device.

A modified voice answered in a rusty voice, "An escapee from federal prison. A picture is being sent to this device. Same as always Hunter, field and destroy."

He looked at the picture. This man looked like he was actually capable of fighting his way through.

"Hunter, you may not be able to save this one. He's tried to commit suicide by cop. For him, it's either kill or be killed."

He shut the phone. Passing a trash can, he dumped it in.

Inside the café, all of his friends were laughing at Dan and Runo. A flaming waitress and a cowering customer were quite a sight to behold. It would never get old. The pyrus brawler looked out the window just in time to see Shun disappear.

His best friend's skills were something to envious of.

The moon would be of advantage tonight. He flitted through the trees, a visage of dark mottled green. A clear view of his target surfaced before him.

He had modern skills past his ninja training, such as hunkering down and preparing a shot. Even if this man was a danger to society, he always felt the twinge of distress and sympathy towards his victims. The rifle made a single sound, punctuated by a dead thud in the distance.

Pack up, clean up, pick up. A quick check around him to police the brass lost from the fire. Putting 'Kate' back into its case and making sure he was dead. Sliding out of his back pocket a simple stamp, he pressed it into the hand of the dead fugitive.

It was a custom required by all bounty hunters sanctioned by the government. The elegant HK stood out in stark difference against the cooling skin, and he made his way back home.

The next morning, when he met up with his friends, he wasn't surprised to see them talking about the hit that occurred last night.

"Did you hear about it? Another body popped up last night!" Dan declared loudly.

Runo rolled her eyes, "Yes, with the letters HK on his hand. Same as usual."

"I can't believe they haven't caught the guy yet," Julie said.

"Maybe they don't want to catch him," Marucho stated matter-of-factly, "This could be one of those things that the government denies."

**That's not far off Marucho. You have no idea how right you are,** Shun thought. "What are you guys talking about?"

Alice chirped lightly, "Good morning Shun."

"Hey Shun," Dan greeted. "We were discussing the new body that popped up yesterday. Hey, that was near your house, right?"

"Yes, and before you ask, no, I didn't see a killer outside my window or anything."

Dan groaned, "It's no fun if you guess what I'm going to say."

The telltale smirk appeared on his face, "That's why I do it."

The conversation ended, and the mysterious HK slowly faded for two weeks.

Another fugitive's body popped up, with the same initials. That same morning, Shun was nowhere to be found. Dan offered to look for him.

He entered the house he had since he was five. It was totally silent, save for the distant sound of Shun's grandfather raging at a TV. Slipping past that room, he worked his way to where Shun's room was.

About to knock, he heard soft whispers. Shun was on the phone with someone.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." He sounded annoyed. "So, it went a little different than we both expected. Hey, it's not my fault. You did forget to warn me."

A moment of pause as Dan leaned in closer to the door. Shun paused mid-sentence, and then resumed conversation, "Yes. Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes. Exactly. Glad you understand."

The door opened and Dan spilled at Shun's feet. Looking up, he saw his friend's expecting stare. "No, it's fine."

Shun closed the cell. "What are you doing here, Dan?"

"We all got worried when you didn't pick up your phone. I came over to make sure nothing was up."

"Nothing's wrong. My grandfather had me practicing extra today, no phone allowed."

"Who were you talking to?"

"It's no one," Shun shook his head, "just a person I know."

Dan sighed, "Well, can you come hang out with us now?"

His friend hesitated, and his eyes shot over to glance at a barren desk pushed against the wall. "Sure."

Dan watched his friend lean over to reach for the tossed phone and pull back before reaching again. He could have sworn he heard a tiny wince, but Shun turned around, his usual smirk displayed on his features.

"Let's go, Dan."

The pyrus brawler couldn't shake the feeling of Shun hiding something. Little things he never really noticed before, but were beginning to add up. The phone call, the random nights he left early, the bandage he managed to glimpse on Shun's upper arm.

He could never leave well enough alone.

Finally, he decided to pay Shun a visit. At eleven at night.

Entering the quiet grounds, he was startled to hear a loud report. Heading towards the sound he found himself turning back around when he saw a flit of a person in the trees. Following the person instead, he realized he was back at the dojo.

The figure was gone.

"Shun?" he asked, entering the house. It was lucky they never bothered to lock it. Walking down the familiar path, he knocked against the door.

His friend slid the door open, looking slightly irritated. "Gra- Dan, why are you here at midnight?"

The pyrus brawler was more focused on the slim, dark green ink that adorned his friend's shoulder. "I- Where did you get a tattoo?"

Shun realized his torso was still bare. He was changing when Dan had knocked. Grabbing the shirt from the bed, "It's nothing."

Dan marched in, "Shun, what's going on?"

"It's a tattoo. I'm not suddenly going to change."

"But it's not just the tattoo, is it?" Dan whirled around, "It's the phone call, the random leaving early, the freaking bandage wrapped around your arm!"

Shun's eyes narrowed dangerously, "It's none of your business, Dan."

Dan looked over at the open window, and it dawned on him. "You're the person I saw after that huge sound."

"Huge sound?"

"Don't deny that!" Dan took a wobbly step back, "You're HK."

Shun didn't respond.

"Answer me!"

"Fine," Shun muttered. "Yes, I'm HK. It stands for Hunter Kaze, as in bounty hunter."

Dan choked. His best friend, a trained killer? Then he started to panic. He was friends with a freaking assassin, someone that could choose to silence him to keep his secret just that.

"Calm down you moron. I'm not going to kill you. You let me explain, and I let go of you, okay?"

"And I should believe you why?"

"Even if I may be a hunter, I'm still the friend that helped you save multiple planets and billions of people. It doesn't change the fact you've known me for sixteen years."

"You lied to all of us!"

"No, I did not lie to you."

Dan flared up, "Don't twist this! You are killing people! These are people, not freaking animals!"

"They are fugitives, people who would otherwise go back to killing others!"

"I can't believe you, Shun. People are people. You can't go around shooting them up!"

"It's my job!"

Dan blanched, "What?"

"You think I do this for fun?" Shun growled, "I am legally allowed to do this. I am under strict rule and bound by my family to be a hunter."

"Are you saying," Dan's voice disappeared, "your entire family is a group of government hunters?"

Shun nodded.

"Including your mom?"

"Yes."

"It's still wrong," Dan tried to raise his voice. "How could you keep something like that from us? From me?"

"I can't believe you Dan! This isn't about you! Yes, I'm a trained killer!"

"How is this not about all of your friends! We have a right to know if our friend is bounty hunter!"

"No, you don't! It would put all of you at risk!"

"How would it put us at risk?"

"People want me dead! How do you think my mom died? From an actual disease? No, it was from a lethal poison that broke down her central nervous system." Shun spat out, "I don't get a choice to be a part of this or not. Don't judge me or my decisions."

"Your mom…"

"Don't Dan."

"I'm sorry."

Shun sighed. "I'm sorry too."

"About what?"

Dan blinked. His eyelids felt a lot heavier. "What did you do?"

"I have to protect you guys. I can't let you remember this."

**That's really it guys. Yes, that's it. SO, ahsokazami2001, what did you think? Alright? **

**Snipers call a Bravo 51 a Kate.**


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